ASPCA Arrests Man Who Beat Opossum to Death, Posted Video Online

It’s hard to understand how someone could beat an animal to death with a rock, and then proudly post a video of the grisly scene online. And yet, that’s exactly what one individual did. On December 3, ASPCA Agents arrested Jordan Heuer for attacking, injuring and causing the death of an opossum in a Queens, New York, park.

After the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) received complaints about a video of the incident posted online, the organization referred the issue to the ASPCA. We opened a criminal investigation.

“This is a disturbing case of violent abuse in which the suspect went out of his way to not only inflict pain on a helpless animal victim by smashing it repeatedly on its head with a rock, but to also record and post the brutal event on the Internet,” says Stacy Wolf, Vice President and Chief Counsel of the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement and Legal Advocacy departments.

Heuer, 18, was charged with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty—under current New York law, felony animal cruelty charges can be brought only in cases involving companion animals. If convicted, he faces up to one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

“This is precisely the sort of case that supports making the more callous acts that cause serious injury or death to wild animals into felony offenses,” Wolf notes, citing the extreme depravity of the opossum’s death.

We couldn’t agree more, and our Government Relations team is on the case. Bill Ketzer, ASPCA Senior Director of Government Relations for the Northeast, adds: “We will continue to work with legislators…to help shape laws to cover these types of especially heinous acts, regardless of whether the animal victim is a pet or a wild animal.”

I agree with another poster that such evil, barbaric, heartless acts are often a precursor to advancing to killing humans. I am so angry and helpless when I read stories of animal abuse. Videos of such heinous acts are unbearable to watch, though I don't know why anyone would, except to report and identify the perpetrator. The law in the U.S., Canada, and around the world should make animal abuse felonies. No more slaps on the wrist. What an insult to the memory of the animal that suffered and the pain it endured.

Two weeks ago my dogs got a opossum. What a mess. They listen when I told them to drop it. Put them in the house. I went to check it. To my horror it was not dead. Heavy gloves, tight blanket,check for babies. I cannot let this poor thing out in the cold to die. I called a friend who told me the # of wildlife rescue. She told me she would meet me and the rescue would meet us at a halfway point. Great! I went to get the opossum to put it in a cat box. It was gone! I had it wrapped tight, I thought. I looked every where. I know I could have been hurt but I was protected. Usually it dogs, cats, bunnies, birds I am helping but I know what to wear and how to help them. I was so upset, not at the dogs. All 4 are breeds that were trained to be ratters. I did not want this wild animal to suffer but I had no choice, it made the decision. The moral to my story is , I do everything I can to help an animal and my kids have been taught to respect every living thing. This boy beats one to death and video's it. He is sick and the people who watch it are sick! How do we stop this? What can we do? First an animal then a child/person, this has been proven! Helping animal's is my life's work, I need to know how to stop the abuse.

What a difference a beating and killing another kill simply because not one person appeared to complain?

COMPLAINT ABOUT THE CITY of SAN ANTONIO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES

You not only killed 'another animal', also killed one person. But what is that to a people, a nation, which has exterminated hundreds of thousands of other people, like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in the late '40s. The Vietnamese in the 70s.

Remorse ... Compassion ... are words that do not exist in the dictionaries of his country his people is a people without a soul. A people with no love for anything or anyone. I noticed that in the two years I was there. It was a great learning experience for me, despite my 48/49 years of life.
I learned with you what I can not come to NEVER become. One of shit without feelings.

Believe me, you killed BEBE, got rid of a 'problem', but found another much larger. A 'father', which RETIRED JOURNALIST, I thought, never again write, but now my life without 'my daughter' won another direction. I'll show the world what is the ASPCA. What programs and documentaries on Discovery, History, Animal Planet, etc ... nothing more than cheap demagoguery, moreover, as all his and his PEOPLE NATION DOES. You are experts in the art of lying and acting.

This number A237550 will become an ICON in denouncing these atrocities committed by you, who call themselves "DEFENDERS OF ANIMALS."

Nine days of waiting for that claim the lost dog or locate, there is not even the most 'miserable' Country. In any of SHIT NATION, the minimum would be 1 month. But as you ARE shit 1st WORLD until this is different.

What you do is cowardice. Cheap demagoguery, using poor defenseless animals and even cheating and deceiving people who in good faith believe their "good intentions" which incidentally tell by the way, hell is full.

This piece of trash needs to go to a prison, where the inmates know what he likes to do. Their are animal lovers who are in prison. Change the law all ready. Lawyers and Judges can do this. All animals should have the same rights we have.
Remember what Ghandi said...

I have recently seen an abuse act maybe well it was this teen giving dog BEER!!!!!!!!!!!! and I cry when there is an abuse video on Facebook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE STOP ANIMAL CRULTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!